


Homecoming

by LakeHermione



Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 02:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13603332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LakeHermione/pseuds/LakeHermione
Summary: My first attempt at writing/posting something.  A short one reimagining how the Sadler-Dawkins-Manning clan came to be.





	Homecoming

A Sort of Homecoming

The doorbell rang at the Brixton Children’s Home at 2:00 a.m. When the night watchman opened the door, he found a frightened woman holding a tiny infant tightly swaddled in a blanket. The baby was fast asleep. The woman whispered, “She nobody’s… but please keep her safe!” and then handed the baby to the startled watchman and darted away without a backwards glance. When the police weren’t able to identify the child through missing child reports, fingerprints or hospital records, she was given a name per the home’s custom: “Sarah” was chosen by opening the Bible at random and selecting the first suitable girl’s name found on the page. The surname “Manning” was chosen via the same method but instead of the Bible, they used an old London phone book.

By the time she was eight years old, Sarah Manning had spent time in more foster homes than she could remember. She lasted six months in the first one, but when her foster mother (who was very kind) was diagnosed with cancer, Sarah had to be placed elsewhere. She was removed from her second placement due to suspected neglect—an unannounced home visit and ensuing investigation suggested that Sarah was largely left unattended in her crib for hours on end. She made it almost a year at the third placement before her foster father broke her left arm in a fit of anger because she wouldn’t stop crying one night--probably because she had an untreated double ear infection. The hospital also made note at the time that she exhibited a variety of suspicious bruises that didn’t appear to be consistent with normal toddler accidents. The rest of Sarah’s placements were all short lived for a variety of given reasons but only one real one—Sarah wouldn’t bond. As such, Mrs. Stroud, the headmistress of the home, figured Sarah would be with them until she “aged out” of the system and Lord knows, that never ended well. The school counselors’ notes were already full of terms like “attachment disorder,” “antisocial” and “oppositional defiant” and Sarah was, to put it mildly, an extremely indifferent student notwithstanding her high IQ. Still, as difficult as Sarah could be (and her hot temper and foul mouth were already legendary), Mrs. Stroud thought there was something a bit endearing about Sarah when she thought no one was looking. She was kind to the little ones, protective to a fault when it came to bullies and you almost had to be impressed with her all-out commitment to rule-breaking…well almost. 

The children’s home held open house events for the prospective foster or adoptive parents on Saturdays to allow them to meet the children in need of placements. Most of the foster parents gravitated towards the babies and toddlers and that was more than all-right with Sarah. She hated coming to these things. Mrs. Stroud tried to make the kids look their best, but the most Sarah would do is put on something clean. Sarah could usually be found at such events sitting with her back against the courtyard wall, arms folded atop her bouncing knees and scowling to best repel the prospective foster parents. Which is why Mrs. Stroud watched with interest as Mrs. Sadler, who had recently applied for another foster placement approached Sarah one Saturday. The conversation between the two was brief and went about as Mrs. Stroud expected--Sarah, unsmiling and giving terse one word answers to Mrs. Sadler’s light pleasantries. Later, however, much to Mrs. Stroud’s surprise, Mrs. Sadler asked if she could come back the next day and have lunch with Sarah. When Mrs. Stroud asked Sarah what she thought about that, Sarah had replied “Sure, whatever” which was practically a ringing endorsement. 

When Siobhan Sadler arrived the next day, Mrs. Stroud had set a table for the two of them with sandwiches, apples and tea. Siobhan had done most of the talking and Sarah barely touched her food, but Mrs. Stroud thought she had seen Sarah smile once or twice. Unfortunately, as Siobhan was leaving she asked Sarah whether she’d like to do this again and Sarah replied, “I don’t give a shit if you come back or not.”

But Siobhan thought something in the way Sarah said it suggested otherwise and as Siobhan Sadler was stubborn too, she came back the next day and asked if Sarah wanted to go to the zoo with her and her 6 year old foster son, Felix. “The zoo’s for babies.” Sarah had replied without looking up. “That’s bullocks!” replied Felix. Siobhan shot him a look. “Sorry, but it is. The zoo’s the best place on earth!” he enthused. “They’ve got monkeys and zebras and giant snakes! Oh, and Mrs. S said we could get caramel corn AND ice cream! So, don’t be an idiot and come on!” “Alright I guess” Sarah relented with just the faintest glimmer of an amused smile as Felix took her hand and dragged her ahead. Siobhan smiled wanly to Mrs. Stroud who then said, “You sure you know what you’re getting into? She’s a tough one. Been through a lot.” “No.” replied Siobhan “But, I think we’re doing this” as she gazed up ahead at Felix’s delighted face. 

Felix was thin and tall for his age with unruly brown hair that stood up in the back and a wide open smile—although he was missing his two front teeth at present. His sunny disposition covered for a mischievous streak and irreverent sense of humor. He had been with Siobhan since he was about three. Siobhan was told he had been well-cared for by his biological mother until she died unexpectedly when he was two. Siobhan wasn’t his first foster placement, but unlike Sarah, he managed to come to her without suffering any known abuse or neglect. She had adopted him last year. He was a delightful boy who loved art and any sort of event like holidays or trips somewhere new. When he met Sarah, he almost instantly decided she was his sister. 

Though she wouldn’t admit it, Sarah quickly grew fond of Felix too. She wasn’t, however, at all sure what to make of “Mrs. S.” She kept coming around and taking Sarah on outings—sometimes with Felix, sometimes alone. Mr. S was different from most of the prospective foster mothers Sarah had known over the years. She wasn’t selling sunshine and rainbows and she didn’t ask Sarah personal questions or about school—thank god. Once when Sarah volunteered that she had received in school suspension for fighting (probably just to see what Siobhan’s reaction would be) Siobhan had simply said, “Well, that didn’t do you much good. Did it, chicken?” and then she had left the subject alone. She seemed more bemused than upset when Sarah (or Felix) used colorful language, but she had her limits, though. Once when Sarah had pocketed a candy bar in a shop during an outing, she dragged her right back to the store to return it and apologize and then immediately marched her back to the children’s home. The only thing she said the entire time was “I will NOT abide stealing, Sarah!” Sarah figured that was that and she wouldn’t be seeing her again which was probably for the best, but two days later, Siobhan had turned back up looking stern but greeting Sarah with, “Well, should we try this again?”

Truthfully, most of the time Siobhan didn’t know what to make of this guarded and angry little girl who rarely smiled. Siobhan had seen her file and all the ways the world had let her down and it broke her heart—not that that made her behavior any easier to tolerate. If Felix walked around the world seeing the best of everyone and everything, Sarah approached life assuming the worst. For her part, Sarah never gave anyone much reason to think well of her. Truth be told, she mostly did things to discourage anyone’s affection. At school it seemed like she spent more time in the principal’s office than in class. She fought, lied, cheated and stole with impunity, but Siobhan had spent enough time around her to know she wasn’t cruel--at least not yet. Siobhan kept thinking of a sign that hung at Felix’s preschool that had said, “The kids who need love the most will ask for it in the most unloving of ways.” Siobhan found that her heart hurt thinking about what would become of this girl if no one ever tried to love her. Still though she accepted that Sarah might never allow that. On the other hand, the one thing that was clear was how Felix felt about Sarah. “Mum,” he’d said repeatedly, “she’s meant to be my sister. I can feel it in my heart.”

All of which was why when Felix had announced after their last visit that it was time for “his sister” to come home with them, Siobhan had gone back the next day and asked Sarah whether she would like to come live with her and Felix. “We’ll only try it if you want, chicken.” After a long pause, Sarah responded quietly, “Yeah, no thanks.” staring determinedly at the ground. “Well, why not?” replied Siobhan as she reached out and tried to gently turn Sarah’s head towards her. Sarah sprang back from the unexpected contact and spat “Don’t!” “It’s all right, chicken. I’m sorry” said Siobhan, backing away, “I’m just trying to figure out why you don’t want to give it a go. Don’t you like spending time with us?” Truthfully, she did, but instead she said in a tight voice, “It never works.” “No, not always, but sometimes it does luv. But I’ll tell you what: Felix will be heart-broken if you say ‘no.’” “Yeah? Well what does he know anyway?” said Sarah, still staring at her shoes but smiling a little. “Oh and Sarah, look at me please…just to be clear, I think you belong with us too.” After a pause, Sarah said gruffly “All right, then…might be better than this stupid place” and that was that.


End file.
